# Alabama SB163: Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; adoption of Esthetics Licensure Compact Alabama SB163, Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; adoption of Esthetics Licensure Compact, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Kirk Hatcher (Democratic); status enacted, last action 2026-04-06 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB163-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB163 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering; adoption of Esthetics Licensure Compact - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-14 - Last action: 2026-04-06, Enacted - Sponsor: Kirk Hatcher (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Occupational Licensing Boards - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (200 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 9 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Estheticians gain access to multistate work: benefit, medium. Estheticians living in compact states can apply for one license to work in all member states. Their home-state license must be active and free of restrictions, and they must meet compact requirements. Services follow the laws of the state where the client is located. Nonresidents can still seek sin… - Military families can keep licensing ties: benefit, low. Active-duty service members and their spouses can choose a home state where they hold a current esthetics license in good standing. They can keep that designation throughout active-duty service. This preserves their home-state basis for compact licensing despite a military-related move. - Estheticians face new multistate license fees: cost, low. Member states may charge estheticians for granting multistate licenses. The commission may also charge license and renewal fees, and required fees must be paid to maintain the license. It may assess member states annually under its rules. Commission fees and state assessments can cover only the app… - Estheticians face coordinated discipline across states: mixed, medium. A state can restrict an esthetician's practice there for services provided in that state. Only the home state can act against the multistate license itself. That action suspends practice authorization across member states until the home-state restrictions are removed. States share investigation rec… - Moving estheticians must reissue multistate licenses: mixed, medium. Estheticians moving between compact states must immediately apply to the new home state, pay fees, and notify the former state. Reissuance preserves multistate practice access and deactivates the former multistate license. The new state verifies eligibility and may require a background check or a t… - State exits limit estheticians' multistate access: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, a state can leave by repealing the compact; withdrawal takes effect 180 days after repeal. The commission can terminate a defaulting state after notice, failure to fix the default, exhausted compliance steps, and a majority vote. Either exit ends membership benefits, but… - Commission workers protected; private enforcement limited: mixed, low. Covered commission personnel have civil immunity for actions within their duties, including actions reasonably believed to be within those duties. The commission must defend them and cover qualifying claims, settlements, and judgments. These protections exclude intentional, willful, or wanton misco… - States share esthetician records with safeguards: mixed, low. Member states must regulate estheticians, investigate complaints, require training and competency exams, and consider criminal or disciplinary history or background checks. They must follow commission rules, recognize qualifying multistate licenses, and share required records through a secure syste… - Shared commission governs Alabama esthetics licensing: mixed, low. Alabama's law takes effect October 1, 2026; the compact becomes effective when the seventh state enacts it. A joint state commission administers the compact, with one voting delegate per member state and meetings at least annually. It adopts rules, manages staff and finances, and publishes annual r… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Kirk Hatcher (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Andrew Jones (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-31 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1088 | pass | 66 | 0 | 32 | | 2026-03-31 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 66 | 0 | 32 | | 2026-01-27 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 165 | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-01-27 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 34 | 0 | | ## Actions (17) - 2026-04-06: Enacted (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2026-03-31: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1088 (House) - 2026-03-31: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Signature Requested (House) - 2026-03-31: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-02-04: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2026-01-27: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 165 (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Boards, Agencies and Commissions (House) - 2026-01-27: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2026-01-21: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-01-21: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB163-int.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB163-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for misuse of personal voter information; created (enacted) - SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 (enacted) - SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require indigent candidates to submit documentation for fee exemption (enacted) - HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for violations provided for (enacted) - SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial tr… (enacted) - SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB163-int.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB163-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB67-2026rs) - [SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB154-2026rs) - [SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require in…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB165-2026rs) - [HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for vio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB317-2026rs) - [SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitatio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB272-2026rs) - [SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB190-2026rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB163-2026rs (as of 2026-10-19).